


If No One Cares for Me

by Mara



Category: Kamen Rider Agito
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-08 02:55:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5480654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryou doesn't need another bossy woman in his life. Too bad he doesn't seem to have a choice in the matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If No One Cares for Me

**Author's Note:**

> This contains some spoilers for the last few episodes of Agito. Not super huge ones, though.

Ryou could remember being a guy with a normal life and friends he hung out with on campus and a girlfriend. Okay, it felt like a really long time ago, but he could remember it.

After becoming Gills, he could remember being a loner who could only depend on himself. Even when the Unknown were gone for good…well, the loss of Risa meant he'd kept up his loner ways.

When examining his life, however, he had no idea when he became a person whose apartment was invaded by strange people like Tsugami and Hikawa, who'd apparently decided to adopt him. People who tried to feed him or take care of him or…whatever this girl was doing.

Mana crossed her arms and glared at him. "Are you even listening to me?"

"No."

"Ashihara!"

He glared back, even though his glare seemed to have zero effect on her. She knew what he was, so why didn't she seem at all frightened? She was supposed to be jumpy and anxious and worried he was going to turn into a monster and kill her. Instead, she had brought him a basket of Tsugami's vegetables and some stuff she'd bought at the store.

"Do you ever eat properly?" she asked, pointing at his bare pantry and the refrigerator he knew held mostly beer.

"I eat out." He couldn't believe he was even defending himself.

"Hmmph." She started unpacking the food. "You and Shouichi. You may take care of others, but you don't know how to take care of yourselves. Maybe it's something about transforming that fries your brains."

Ryou just blinked.

Shaking her head, she started unpacking the items she'd brought. "Well, I can't cook like Shouichi, but I'm sure we can figure out something."

"Why are you here?" He'd just gotten back from work at the motorcycle shop and found her sitting in front of his door doing homework.

The look she gave him over her shoulder plainly said that she found his lack of intelligence irritating. And she continued sorting food.

What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't pick her up and throw her out the door…could he? He supposed not. If nothing else, it would make Tsugami sad and that was worse than kicking a puppy dog.

"Well?" She looked over her shoulder again. "Get plates."

Ryou found himself opening a cabinet and getting down plates and cups.

* * *

When they were done eating the makeshift meal, he cleaned dishes while she stored the rest of the food for him. His jaw clenched as Mana's form blurred for a second into Risa's and he nearly dropped the plate he was putting in the drainer.

Mana looked up and her eyes widened. "Ashihara?" She grabbed the plate out of his hand and froze, her eyes looking past him for a very long moment. Then she carefully put the plate down in the drainer. "I'm sorry. I didn't know about her. I'll…" She swallowed, turning away.

"Wait." What? Ryou couldn't believe he'd said it. She was _supposed_ to leave. That's how it worked. What the hell was he doing? "I…thank you for the food. It's been…" A year, he thought. A year since she'd died.

Mana turned back. "It's okay to be sad," she said quietly. "I still miss my father." To his surprise, she opened her arms.

To his greater surprise, Ryou found himself holding her, burying his face in her hair as he shook. 

They stayed like that for a long time.

* * *

When he'd recovered, he started to panic about what she thought they were doing. (He'd known a few girls who turned a handshake into an engagement.)

Mana stepped back, looking him over before she nodded firmly. "Much better."

Ryou felt like a bug under a microscope.

"Be sure to eat properly. And get some sleep. And maybe some sun." Mana picked up the school bag she'd slung in the corner when they first entered. "I'll check on you next week." And the door closed behind her.

With a deep breath, Ryou decided she might even be worse than Tsugami. Tsugami cajoled and tricked you into doing what he wanted; Mana just issued orders. 

What he couldn't figure out was why he couldn't say no and why he was already planning the evening around getting to sleep at what Mana would consider a reasonable hour.

* * *

One sunny afternoon, she dragged him on an excursion to a park, where they wandered through a flower garden while Mana told him about her college classes and asked him about his job.

Sometimes she would stop and peer closely at the plants. 

"What are you doing?" Ryou finally asked.

Mana stood, scowling. "I can't seem to keep Shouichi's garden as healthy as he did. I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong."

"I'm not sure anyone can replicate Tsugami's effect on the world."

"Good point."

* * *

The following week she dragged him to Tsugami's restaurant. The man practically bounced out of his skin with excitement at seeing them and insisted on making them all kinds of special dishes. It was supremely embarrassing to have everyone else look at them, but…it was sort of weirdly nice too. And, y'know, the food was good.

Mana tucked her arm into his as they walked back to where his bike was parked and ostentatiously didn't say anything whatsoever.

Rolling his eyes, Ryou said, "Thank you, it was a nice meal."

She grinned, triumphant.

* * *

Hikawa stopped by to see him occasionally and make awkward conversation. Ryou didn't know quite what to say, but he appreciated the thought.

Mana kept leaving cakes that Shouichi had baked for them, so the next time Hikawa came, Ryou was able to serve him tea and cake and feel like he was a normal person.

After Hikawa left, Ryou poked at another piece of cake and thought about his life. He thought about the people who had died, who had left him behind. And he thought about the people who had stayed.

Then he went for a ride on his bike and thought about what would happen if he just kept riding. How Mana would notice he was gone and call her uncle and Tsugami, who would call Hikawa, who would call his boss from G3X. What was her name? Ozawa. 

All these people who would be bothered if he left. It was weird, but kind of nice. It was nice to think that if something happened to him (again), people would try to help.

It felt _good_ to have someone take care of him and worry about him.

The highway in front of him was straight leading into the suburbs, but Ryou banked a turn gently when there was a break in traffic, heading back into the city.

* * *

Ryou wasn't entirely sure why he'd decided to take the little dog home with him. Surely there were places you were supposed to take a stray that would find it a proper place to live. One with…children or grass or something.

But the little furball settled down so nicely inside his jacket, curling up and apparently unafraid of riding the bike with him. Idling at a light, Ryou looked down at the puppy and it was _asleep_ of all things, apparently worn out from whatever it had been doing before it found him.

Shaking his head, he stopped by the corner store to pick up some dog food and a collar.

When he arrived home, Mana was already in the kitchen cooking something. "Shouichi taught me a really simple recipe," she called out as he came in.

The puppy perked up at her voice and started scrabbling at his stomach. Ryou grabbed him and unzipped the jacket so he could leap down safely.

He couldn't help the grin when he heard Mana yelp. "Something wrong?" he asked, all innocence.

"Why you…" But when he reached them, Mana was smiling as the puppy licked her hand. She didn't look up at him as she tried to get the puppy to stay still long enough to pet it. "When in the world did you get a dog?"

"Just now."

"Just now."

"Yeah. It was running around by the river."

Mana looked up, smiling, and Ryou realized that this was what she'd been trying to tell him all along: He didn't have to be alone and he didn't have to wait for everyone to leave him. He could move on.

Crouching down next to her, he let the puppy lick his hand and try to reach his face. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For everything."

Her face reddened. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Hastily, she stood and went back to the stove.

* * *

Mana was picking up her bag to leave when it happened: She paused and just looked at Ryou.

"What?"

The determined look on her face made him nervous. She stepped forward, going up on tiptoes to press her lips to his.

Ryou knew he should jump back, make excuses, run away…but instead he gently held her shoulders and tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

After a moment, they both took a step back. Mana looked flushed, but happy.

"You're still—"

"Young. I know." Mana grinned. "I just wanted to do it. Sort of a promise for the future. G'night."

Ryou leaned against the inside of his door after she was gone and watched his dog settle down for a nap. "I'm _so_ screwed, aren't I?" he said to the animal. The dog lifted its head and whined. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

With a sigh, he went to finish cleaning up in the kitchen. Well, there were worse fates, he supposed.

\--end--


End file.
